Pixel 2 Review: Do Not Judge A Book By Its Cover

Pixel ii is Google's simply 2d attempt at making a smartphone, and male child did Google knocked it out of the park with this one. The original Pixel was 1 of my favourite phones of 2016, and hence, I was eagerly waiting to see what Google does with this twelvemonth's Pixel phones, and to me, Google has more than delivered. Yes, the smaller of the 2 devices that Google launched, the Pixel 2, might look like a 2016 flagship with those large pinnacle and bottom bezels, but information technology behaves like a smartphone worthy of being a 2017 flagship. To use it is using Android at its all-time and that feels like pure joy. Just that's not all that this phone has to offer united states of america. So relax and read on as we take a deep dive and see what the new Pixel ii excels at and where information technology falters, as we bring y'all the review of the new Pixel 2:

Pixel 2 Specifications

Before we talk about my personal opinion, let's get the specifications out of the style. Needless to say, the Pixel 2 packs all the latest and greatest hardware that the smartphone world has to offer us. Check out the details in the table beneath.

Dimensions	145.7 x 69.vii x 7.8 mm (5.74 x 2.74 ten 0.31 in)
Weight	143 g (v.04 oz)
Display	5.0 inches (1080 x 1920 pixels) OLED Panel
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-cadre (4x2.35 GHz and 4x1.9 GHz)
RAM	4 GB
Storage	64/128 GB
Primary Camera	12.2-megapixel, f/ane.eight aperture, OIS, phase detection and light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation autofocus, with dual-LED wink
Secondary Camera	8-megapixel with f/two.4 discontinuity
Battery	Not-removable Li-Ion 2700 mAh battery
Operating System	Android 8.0 (Oreo)
Sensors	GPS, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
Connectivity	Dual-ring Wi-Fi 802.11 ( a/b/g/n/ac), LTE (nano-SIM)
Price	$649

What's In the Box

The Pixel ii comes in one of nicest packaging I take seen with any smartphone. The cardboard box feels premium and the unboxing experience was satisfying, to say the least. The box has everything that you expect, well that is everything except a pair of wired headphones (more on this later).

• Pixel two (Just Black Color)
• Charging Adapter
• USB blazon-C Charging Cable
• USB-C to 3.five mm Headphone Jack dongle
• Quick Beginning Guide
• Sim Ejection tool
• USB-C to USB-A OTG

Design and Build Quality

Last year'southward Pixel phones sported a very uninspiring design and this year Google has washed a nifty job at refining that design. Notwithstanding, the design has always been a matter of personal option and you might not similar information technology, but I certainly do. The phone has a metal dorsum with a glass shade at the top. The glass shade has shrunk from last yr and looks and feels really nice. Some users don't like it, but for me, it has become synonymous with the Pixel brand (can also exist seen in the new Pixel Book) and I wouldn't want it to exist removed in the future too. I as well dearest the fact that now the Pixel phones are IP-67 water and dust resistant, a feature which was missing on the original Pixels.

The metal dorsum is not slippery like other phones, rather it has been coated with a material which gives it a rougher and textured feel to it. This makes the phone grippier than any other flagship phone in the market right now. The back too houses the camera and the fingerprint sensor both of which are crazy fast. Google has discovered the optimal position of the fingerprint scanner, and information technology only feels natural unlocking the phone with this. The front is what makes this phone really polarising in terms of design. The top and lesser of the phone sport huge 2016 bezels. Yes, they likewise store the dual-front end firing speakers, merely the Pixel 2 XL too does that with the almost bezel-less design and so Google doesn't get a pass hither. The screen is a 1920*1080 AMOLED panel which looks quite good. The display along with the front end camera is protected by the Corning Gorilla glass five which is as tough as they come.

At present that you know the overall design of the Pixel two, let me tell y'all i thing, the phone feels far premium in the hand than information technology looks from a distance. And this is a trend that y'all volition discover throughout this review. The textured metal back feels really nice in manus and too makes certain that the phone never slips out of your manus. Yes, the bezels are there, but after using the phone for a few days, your brain automatically rejects them from your view. Yous will notice it when you compare information technology side by side with the likes Samsung Galaxy S8, the new iPhone X or fifty-fifty the Pixel ii XL, but when you are but using the phone for what it is, it will not bother y'all. The lesser line is that this phone is non going to win any blueprint awards, only it is going to experience wonderful in your hand.

Display

While its elder Sibling (Pixel two 40) has been suffering from a myriad of brandish-related problems, I am happy to report that the Pixel two doesn't show any of those issues. The display sports a five-inch full Hard disk (1920*1080) OLED panel and it looks great. Yep, the blue-shift is there but that is present on all the OLED displays, and it'due south non as big a problem every bit yous might think. You volition demand to plow the display really off-axis and then besides actively expect for information technology to encounter information technology.

There's nothing more to add, it'southward an OLED display and it does everything that an OLED display does. The blacks are pure black and the color reproduction is very good. Google has toned downward the saturation a scrap to brand it more than true to life and hence the colors are not as punchy equally Samsung'due south panels, but that doesn't bother. If you like the over-saturated colors on the Samsung'due south panel, Google has included a vivid color mode which will give it extra punchiness and has also promised to give users more control over the brandish color calibration with time to come software updates. That is the affair to detect here, the OLED display console has all those capabilities which a Samsung's panel has in the hardware, even so, Google used software to tone information technology downwardly.

To conclude, no the Pixel 2 doesn't suffer from any display issues. Yes, the brandish looks great. Yet, if you want more saturated colors, you will need to enable the Vivid fashion inside the settings and await for the next software updates which will give users more control. At the end of the mean solar day, this is a really prissy OLED panel and you volition non be disappointed by what you are getting.

User Interface

When it comes to user-interface Pixel 2 wins in every section you can think of. Google'southward take on Android is phenomenal and yous get the best and the most fluid Android experience always. It all starts with the new Pixel 2 launcher. Just like previous yr Pixel phones, the new Pixel ii comes with a slightly tweaked version of Android and it is great. The habitation screen has a translucent search bar merely to a higher place the software buttons giving you like shooting fish in a barrel admission to search. The best part virtually using this search bar is that now, not but it searches the web, it also searches the content within your telephone. For example, you can tap on the bar and search for an app or an electronic mail or a contact on your telephone. This makes the search bar a really handy tool which is accessible at your fingertips at all the fourth dimension.

Above the search bar is the dock which can business firm upwards to 5 apps and a special widget at the top which shows you date, day, and your nigh contempo upcoming appointment or calendar events. I really dearest the widget as now I don't have to open calendar to come across what's next on my agenda. When you swipe left to right on the home screen, you get your usual Google At present panel which shows you important data like weather condition, upcoming events, and more along with trending news, and other things depending on your preferences. The ever learning and improving Google Assistant is obviously hither. However, now you can access information technology in a couple of ways. You can either long-press on the home push button every bit you ever did or now y'all can also squeeze on the side of the phone to summon your Google Assistant.

Yes, the feature is like to HTC'southward active edge and information technology works flawlessly here. You can calibrate the clasp strength yous need in the settings, and in one case you have set it up as per your liking, you can summon the Google Assistant pretty easily. It took me a few days to get used to it, simply at present it has become and then intuitive that I don't know why it was not there from the first. Using the clasp feature has become a 2d nature to me and because of that, I am using the Google Assistant manner more I used too, and so kudos to Google for that.

Equally always, y'all tin can swipe up to get to your app drawer where everything is arranged neatly in alphabetical order. In that location'south also a height row which houses your almost recently used apps forth with a Google search bar. Scrolling the app drawer is silky smooth and the interface never stuttered even for a second in all my fourth dimension of using this phone. There are likewise many pocket-size refinements and add-ons that the new Pixel two launcher brings with it which makes using the phone more joyful, simply nosotros accept a whole dedicated section for that later in the article. Right now, you should know that the Pixel two gives you lot the best Android experience packed inside a cute and fluid user interface.

Functioning

When it comes to performance, the Pixel two is right at the top with the best of the smartphones. Information technology has all the specs which nosotros come to expect from a 2017 flagship device, that is the octa-core Snapdragon 835 coupled with Adreno 540 GPU and 4 GB of RAM. The hardware when coupled with the Pixel 2'south fluid software makes Pixel 2 a screamer. The telephone handled everything that I threw at it with ease. Normal operations like launching apps, going dwelling, and loading games was as fast as expected. However, what stood out to me that even later an hr of sustained gaming (Asphalt Xtreme, injustice 2), the phone did not bog down.

That level of sustained operation must be attributed to the thermal management of the phone. Even afterwards gaming for 1 hour, the phone never actually got hot and was merely warm to touch. The bottom line is that the phone is fast and you won't feel information technology backing down fifty-fifty for a second. I don't place much of my trust in numbers, merely I know some of yous care well-nigh that stuff, so you tin can find the Geekbench and Antutu scores in the picture beneath. When yous compare the score to iPhone 8 Plus's A11 Bionic chip, the Pixel 2 doesn't fifty-fifty stand a take a chance. Withal, having used both of them side by side, I barely noticed a difference in the performance. Residue assured, when your Pixel 2, you are in for a buttery smooth functioning.

Cameras

At final, we come to the section of this review which I was looking forward to. No, it's not because I am a camera geek, on the contrary, I refrain from using cameras on my phone more than most of the smartphone users I have met. I rarely take pictures with the primary photographic camera of my phone and selfies are out of the question. Practice you want to know what I have used my smartphone's camera to do in the last year? I have got 2 things for your, "Video calling and document scanning". So, why was I looking forward to writing this part of the review? Well for one, the photographic camera on the Pixel 2 is a delight to use. It likewise helps that it has arguably the best freaking cameras on any smartphone, period.

I am someone who just points and shoots. I don't become into settings and tweaking every infinitesimal detail and adjusting every setting that the camera offers. I want my camera to be every bit smart on the software side as capable it is on the hardware side. And I am happy to report that by far, the Pixel 2 cameras are the smartest smartphone photographic camera's on the planet. Every shot I took came out to be cute. Whether I was taking photos in the low-low-cal condition or normal daylight atmospheric condition, the shots came out perfect. Don't even go me started on the Portrait way. I for the love of god cannot sympathise the sorcery Google has used in the epitome processing, but the Pixel 2 takes amazing portrait shots with merely ane camera.

Yep, that's right, the Pixel two sports a single 12.2-megapixel primary camera (f/1.8 aperture) along with an 8-megapixel front-facing camera (f/two.4 aperture). So, the portrait mode works flawlessly with but a single camera, something which other manufacturers tin can't fifty-fifty pull-off with 2 cameras. Google says it is using a dual-pixel technology which substantially means that each pixel on the camera captures a right and a left view. The difference in perspective in the views combined with Google'due south motorcar learning allows it to create a perfect bokeh effect. When Apple launched portrait style, it was in beta for months before it worked properly, the Pixel 2 does this out of the box. It not only can take portrait images for humans but too for objects with well-defined boundaries and soft-blurred background.

Since the portrait fashion is implemented using software features, it has one more advantage. Yous get portrait mode even on the front end-facing camera. That's correct, now y'all can accept selfies in portrait-mode. I must say I was tempted enough that I tried it out, but as it turns out, nil tin go me into the selfie game, non even the Pixel 2. The Pixel 2 camera is also corking for video recording. The primary camera combines the Optical Image Stabilisation along with Electronic Image Stabilisation to provide you with one of the best shake-gratis videos always. It can shoot 4K at thirty fps and wearisome motions videos at 120 fps at 1080p or 240 fps at 720p. The details captured in videos accept loftier dynamic range and there is depression noise even in the low-lighting condition.

If you lot all the same don't trust Pixel two'due south photographic camera, don't trust me, attempt it out in the wild for yourself or trust the DxO marker. They no what they are doing and they have awarded Pixel ii a score of 98 which is best in any smartphone till now. There is 1 last affair earlier nosotros end this function of the review. Google has included a custom designed Pixel Visual Cadre SoC which packs eight paradigm processing units along with a single Cortex A53 core, DDR4 RAM, and a PCIe line. All that technical jargon aside, the custom SoC has only i purpose, that is image processing. Google has said information technology can do HDR+ image processing 5X faster at less than one/tenth of energy. And you know what, the custom chip is still fallow and is said to enable with futurity Android updates. At present, I floored by the Pixel 2 photographic camera's smartness right now and I can't wait to see what it does after the custom Pixel Visual Core SoC is enabled in the future.

Telephony and Audio Quality

Some users had reported that there was a slight crackling audio coming out of the Pixel 2 simply I don't have that result on my phone. Autonomously from that, phone calls on the Pixel 2 were loud and clear. Both sides were able to hear each other without whatsoever problem. The Pixel 2 is also very good at noise counterfoil equally proved past the fact that the person on other side didn't hear anything fifty-fifty in noisy conditions. Simply, that is expected of a flagship smartphone. Where Pixel 2 takes the block is in audio via its dual-firing forepart-facing speakers. The speakers are the best speakers on any smartphone released till now. I as well don't encounter any other smartphone apart from the Razer phone chirapsia Pixel 2 when it comes to audio quality through speaker in the near future.

Playing games on the speakers is pure pleasure as y'all hear everything loud and clear. Watching movies and listening to music is also very immersing as the speaker handles itself pretty well even on the highest book settings. Look, it won't supersede your portable Bluetooth speakers, but it also won't permit you down if y'all forgot to bring ane with you. However, doesn't matter how slap-up the speakers are, it still does not justify killing of the headphone jack. I hated when Apple did it with iPhone 7, I hated it when other manufacturers like HTC followed conform, and I detest information technology now. Google makes the thing worse by not including a USB-C headphones. If they can't make a USB-C headphone, how are we supposed to discover a expert 1 in the market place? People who take adjusted to this change and now rely on Bluetooth headphones might not be affected by this, but I yet utilize my wired headphones and using dongles is the only pick I have, and I detest information technology.

Connectivity

When it comes to connectivity, the Pixel 2 comes with a nano-sim slot and supports near of the major LTE bands around the globe, so you won't have any problem using it anywhere in the globe. Information technology also supports the latest 802.xi (a/b/1000/n/ac) dual-band WiFi with WiFi direct technology. There is no slot for microSD card but the phone does come with either 64 or 128 GB model which should more than than plenty for everyone. As I mentioned above, the call quality is great as the Pixel ii never loses connection even in an surface area with shoddy network coverage. To summarise, it does everything that is expected of a flagship level device.

Battery

In my week of using it, Pixel 2 showed a pretty decent bombardment life. For me, it lasted the whole day with 10-15% battery however in the tank. That is when I was using the phone very heavily with gaming, photo and video shooting, lots of Twitter, and web browsing. In normal mean solar day-to-twenty-four hour period uses, you lot should expect to finish the twenty-four hours with twenty% juice left in the tank. When it comes to specs, the Pixel 2 sports a 2700 mAh battery and supports Qualcomm's fast charging. It goes from 0 to 100% in effectually 80 minutes. Google says yous can expect seven hours of usage with fifteen minutes of accuse and I hold. Notwithstanding, continue in mind that the 7 hours of usage refers to normal usage and non 7 hours of screen-on fourth dimension which at present every bit I am typing seems cool to retrieve of.

Crawly Tidbits

Remember when I said that this telephone is a joy to apply, well that is made possible because of all the above excellent features combined with some crawly tidbits which I am going to mention here. Some of these features come up with Android Oreo natively and should achieve other devices sooner or later. That being said, they are present on Pixel ii now and they are awesome:

Costless Unlimited Storage In Google Photos:

When y'all buy Pixel 2, you go unlimited photo and video storage in the cloud inside Google Photos. The best part is that all your shots are saved in original quality and hence are non compressed at all. Pixel 2 has phenomenal cameras and you tin take pictures without thinking nigh running out of space.

Google Lens:

The Pixel 2 as well comes with the beta version of Google Lens. Think of Google Lens as Google Glass just inside your phone. Right now it is present inside the photos app and you can activate information technology anytime you desire past hitting the lens push. It basically analyses the image and gives you relevant links like buying data, like photos, generic information about the production in the image etc. It's in beta so information technology doesn't work all the time, but information technology is pretty cool.

Squeeze Foe Google Assistant:

I know I already talked most it, but seriously after you lot are used to summoning your assistant with the clasp feature, you can't become back. Information technology'south and then intuitive and amend than long-pressing the software home button or calling it out loud.

Swipe to Bring Down Notification

It's not a Pixel 2 exclusive characteristic simply I love it, so here it is. It's and so much easy to bank check your notification by pulling them downwards by swiping on the fingerprint sensor at the dorsum. I am going to miss this feature then much when I move onto other phones.

See Bombardment Status of Connected Bluetooth Devices

Android Oreo in Pixel 2 also offers one very corking characteristic. Now, you tin can easily see battery status of all the Bluetooth continued devices correct on your Pixel phones. You don't even need special headphones or speakers. Whatsoever continued headphone or Bluetooth speaker'south battery status volition be displayed on your phone. This is a very handy feature for those who are into wireless headphones.

That'southward not all, there are many other awesome features like this that Pixel offers. You will observe them slowly only surely every bit you get familiar with the device.

Pixel 2: The Best That Android Tin Offer

Pixel 2 is an excellent phone, at that place are no two ways about it. At that place are just 2 things that can keep someone from ownership this phone. The starting time is the huge bezels and the 2d is the omission of the headphone jack. Personally, I can live with the first, but the 2d one has kept me on the fence. Yet, seeing how all manufacturers are moving towards headphone jack-less phone blueprint, I too volition have to move on sooner or later.

Autonomously from the higher up mentioned 2 problems, everything is not bad here. If you dearest stock Android, you will love Pixel two. Information technology all starts with the Pixel ii launcher which brings the all-time of Android forth with some added tweaks which makes the experience fifty-fifty better. The software experience is fluid as information technology is backed by the latest flagship grade hardware. The SnapDragon 835 combined with Adreno 540 GPU gives this phone all the horsepower that it needs. The phone will never stutter on y'all, doesn't affair how much you push it.

However, even if Pixel 2 didn't take the to a higher place qualities, I could recommend this smartphone in heartbeat but for its cameras. Google'southward computation applied science along with the 12.ii-megapixel primary and an 8-megapixel secondary camera create a magic which will be hard to beat by whatever other smartphone out at that place. Every shot you accept will be perfect and you lot don't need to be a photographer to take bang-up photos with this phone. If it can plow a user like me whose least useful characteristic in a smartphone is a camera, in its favour, recollect what it volition hateful for users who are going to really apply it.

To conclude, the Pixel two is one of the all-time phones available in the market place. I would say it's the best, but that is arguably as everyone has a different definition of best when it comes to smartphones. Notwithstanding, despite what your preferences are, this telephone is not going to disappoint yous in any manner. If y'all purchase it, you will exist a happy client.

Pros:

• Pure Android feel
• The best cameras in any smartphone
• Fast Charging OLED Display
• IP67 Water Resistance

Cons:

• No headphone jack
• No wireless charging
• Huge 2016 bezels

SEE MORE: Apple iPhone 8 Plus Review: Evolution Over Revolution

Pixel 2 Review: Don't Judge A Book Past Its Comprehend

It's rightly said that looks tin exist deceptive. At get-go glance, the Google Pixel two feels similar a 2016 flagship with huge bezels and a dated design. Notwithstanding, when you have it in your easily and start using information technology, everything changes. The Pixel 2 provides users with the best Android experience which is likewise backed by crazy performance. Pixel 2 besides sports arguably the best cameras in smartphone. It can practise things with single lens which other flagship devices are non able to achieve fifty-fifty with a dual-lens arrangement. The whole experience of using a Pixel ii is a delight and yous will enjoy owning this device. Well, that'southward the cease of my review, do tell us your thoughts nearly the smartphone by dropping them down in the comments section beneath.

Buy Google Pixel 2: ($649)

REVIEW OVERVIEW
Design and Build Quality 8
Display 8
User Interface 10
Functioning 9
Camera 9.5
Battery Life eight
Connectivity 8
Telephony and Audio Quality 9
SUMMARY Google Pixel 2 delivers on its unsaid promise and then some. Yous are getting the best version of unadulterated Android which runs fluidly on the hardware the packs. The cameras are the best in any smartphone. The phone might await like a 2016 flagship, but looks can be deceptive which is more than truthful in this instance. This along with the Pixel 2 XL is the best Android phone y'all can buy today.	8.7 OVERALL SCORE

Source: https://beebom.com/pixel-2-review/

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